Work For It
by shallow-seas-we-sail
Summary: Prompted from TextsfromMaura over on Tumblr. Jane broke her foot. Jane takes painkillers. Jane builds an obstacle course for Bass. T for some language.


'That bastard.'

Jane wiggles her toes. They were barely peaking over the over her cast.

'That bastard. If he had only stopped when I said stop-'

Jane Rizzoli had kicked down a door, the not in the most eloquent fashion. The man she was chasing was supposed to be dead; a victim in a murder/suicide. Only he was very much alive, and running through the back alleys near Boston Harbor. The apparent perpetrator in a double murder and Jane was close behind.

Close behind until he took a hard left into an abandoned warehouse and Jane was left with the decision to slam on the breaks, drop her shoulder and slam into the door, or do a flying kick.

Why she did a flying kick, she isn't sure. But part of her was proud of how badass she must have looked doing it.

Until she crumpled to a heap on the dusty warehouse floor, and Frost made the arrest.

But it was totally badass up until that point.

Now she was out of work for a week until she could transfer to an air cast and was haphazardly laying on Maura's couch while Bass slinked across the kitchen floor.

And Jane was bored. SO BORED. Bored to the point that if she watched another hour of Sportscenter she was convinced her eyes may start to bleed.

Not to mention that Jane Rizzoli doesn't bitch, but she's alone with a turtle and the tv is on mute and she can't stand it, and she needs some outside, human attention.

So she flings her hand onto the coffee table until she finds her phone, and small, devious smile plays on lips. Unlocking her phone, she scrolls to Maura's name and starts a string of text messages.

_Maura. I'm bored._

_Maura. I'm hungry_

_Maura. My foot hurts_

And she's done, for now. She is hungry, and even though she is afraid of what fancy, names-she-can't pronounce food is in Maura's fridge, she is willing to take the risk. She puts her phone down, picks up a bottle and pops a painkiller.

Jane isn't one for drugs. She'd rather grit her teeth and solider though, but damn if her foot didn't hurt like a son-ofa-bitch

Pushing herself up, she grabs a crutch leaning against the couch and wobbles towards the kitchen, side stepping Bass who has retreated into his shell. Luckily Maura has peanut butter, and Jane is surprised enough to find grape jelly, albeit she had to almost crawl into the back of the fridge to retrieve it.

She slams the two pieces of bread together, and can already feel the medicine taking effect. Absent mindly she wonders why she didn't wait to eat then take her medicine. But the thought quickly passes as a brilliant idea invades her brain.

There are strawberries in the fridge. Fancy English kind that Maura gets specifically for Bass. And Bass is here, and he's a pet, sorta. Pets do tricks, and before Jane can process anymore of this brilliance that should be awarded a Noble Peace Prize, she is bounding across the living room to Maura's bookshelf, sandwich hanging from her mouth, on one crutch, gathering every available book into her free arm.

Off balance and panting through peanut butter and jelly, she slams the books down on the island in the kitchen.

Jane takes a bite of her sandwich, and points at Bass with her crutch;

"Do you have what it takes? You want those strawberries? You have to work for them."

Bass gingerly pokes his head out before retreating back into his shell. Jane doesn't care that she is talking to a turtle. She is warm and her brain is fuzzy and if this isn't fucking brilliant she doesn't know what is.

So Jane starts laying out books in a domino fashion; placing one strawberry in between each space before putting down another book. Finally the obstacle course ends in front of the couch, where Jane sits with the container of strawberries on her lap and bites into one.

"Whenever you're ready big guy." and Jane picks up her phone to text Maura and puts back on Sportscenter.

_Maura. I laid out strawberries and books on the floor to see if bass has what it takes to get though an obstacle course._

Jane doesn't know how much time has passed. The 'not top ten' highlights has replayed 3 times and the container of strawberries is empty, and Maura hasn't acknowledged her Einstein level of brilliance plan involving Bass.

_Maura. He's hiding in his shell and won't entertain me._

Jane knows Maura is at work, but who the fuck cares. Jane Rizzoli is genius and Maura can stop poking dead people for 3 seconds to recognize that.

A light buzzing from beside her takes Jane's away from the slow motion replay of RG3's MCL injury, and its a text from Maura.

Jane's heart flutters in her chest, and she bets that Maura is writing up her plan for a prestigious turtle journal that she is sure she subscribes to.

_If this is you being out off work for a day, then you getting the flu must be insufferable._

Jane smiles, and in a small window off clarity, she realizes that she is being cute.

Jane Rizzoli can be cute.

_Maura, you'll take care of me because you're my girlfriend and I'm cute._

And she smiles again, because she just called Maura her girlfriend of the first time. Then she feels a bump against her shin. Bass has made it through and wants his final strawberry that is laying in front of Jane. She lifts her leg as Bass slowly makes his way to finish line.

_Maura?_

_Yes? I am finding this to be strangely endearing._

Jane gently lowers her injured foot onto Bass's shell and let's out a slow sigh relief. The perfect foot rest. Jane picks up her phone and a smile plays across her lips. Success.

_Bass made it through. He's advancing to the second round._


End file.
